


it's just metal and dust

by hotaru_writes



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Acid Tokyo/Tokyo Revelations, Getting Together, M/M, Spring Thunder/Shunraiki, acid tokyo is pain and suffering, but i turned it into this so whoops, not like spring thunder was kinder, part two's a bit fluffier, sort of..., they're both a bit of a mess in part one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 18:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6250423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotaru_writes/pseuds/hotaru_writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two vignettes of times when Fai and Kurogane could've said 'I love you', but chose three other words instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's just metal and dust

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! I've been writing fic for a while, but this is the first time I'm posting it here. Exciting stuff!
> 
> This fic'll be pretty short. The first part takes place in Acid Tokyo and the second happens just after the Spring Thunder OVA, so spoilers up ‘til that point. Fair warning, I read the manga a while back and my reread hasn’t caught me up to this drabble just yet, so if you spot any inconsistencies, let me know! (And, wow, Kurogane uses a lot of kennings in this, but I’m just gonna chock that up to Kurogane always using them in his speech anyway and this is from his POV so…)
> 
> Oh, and the title's borrowed from the song Metal and Dust by London Grammar. It's very KuroFai, so I'd definitely recommend giving it a listen when reading this!

“You didn’t have to save me, you know.”

Fai does the simplicity of the statement justice, producing it from his lips without any of the usual cheer. Without any emotion at all, really. He may have just escaped death (and all too narrowly), but his tone argues to the contrary. Then he sends a look Kurogane’s way and the ninja can see every emotion he tried to hide pouring from the lone eye the attack left him with. Even in the dark of the makeshift infirmary, he swears he can see a flash of gold in Fai’s formerly blue eye.

Kurogane doesn’t know whether or not he should even be surprised to find Fai’s actually awake. He’d pegged the mage for a glass cannon when they first met; better suited to fighting long-range with powerful magical attacks, only to fall quickly at close range due to a lack of physical ability. Thankfully, he managed to quickly correct himself after actually seeing Fai in battle. Fai is a fighter, same as him. Of course he was already up again.

After taking a second to study the look on Fai’s face, Kurogane makes a sound somewhere between an annoyed growl and an indignant scoff. “No, I didn’t,” Kurogane agrees. It’s pretty frank and the implication that he _did it anyway_ , much less _because he wanted to_ , isn’t hidden behind any kind of insult like it typically is. In the silence of the room, he swears he can hear Fai’s jaw go slack in shock. “I don’t plan on letting you wallow in your own damn self pity. Not when you keep running away from the people who need you. Like the kid, or the princess or…the rest of our group.” The rest of the group comprises of Mokona and himself, but it’s pretty clear which of the two he’s referring to.

“Are you saying that _you_ need me?” Fai’s question is genuine. _I just did_ , Kurogane wants to growl, but he’s been too obvious already, so he keeps quiet instead.

When Kurogane finally looks up from the floor, Fai is perched, hanging off the corner of his bed so far he’s leaning over Kurogane. If he lost his balance, he would probably go sprawling right into Kurogane’s lap. However, Kurogane also knows that the mage has fantastic balance, and he’s almost disappointed that it’s not more of a possibility. Kurogane knows what Fai is up to, so he makes a point of not moving back either. Instead, he takes a risk and leans forward. Just a little, to test the bounds of the mage’s personal space.

“No,” Kurogane replies. “I’m saying that _you_ need _me_.” He points to the eyepatch covering the empty space where Fai’s left eye should’ve been. Kurogane even makes it a point to use the wrist he’d just slit to donate his own blood. Blood that would from then on out being the only thing keeping Fai sustained.

Kurogane know’s it’s a low blow, but he’s never really been concerned with that sort of thing. He expects Fai to get angry and lash out, so the mage slapping his hand away from his face is no surprise. He is not braced, however, for what Fai does next. The press of lips against his own is a shock and Kurogane barely has time to process before Fai’s suddenly got a hand tugging at his short locks, mashing their mouths together so harshly he can hear their teeth click. It isn’t a perfect kiss, but they’re far from perfect themselves, so it’ll do for a first.

Desperate to take as much from the kiss as he can, Kurogane reaches out in an attempt to grasp the mage’s shirt, only to find Fai already halfway across his bed once more. He catches himself leaning forward into the space Fai used to occupy, chasing after the lingering presence of Fai’s lips.

“Why did you save me?” Fai demands and Kurogane wonders briefly how he can breathe so easily after a kiss like that. “I didn’t _want_ to be saved. You could’ve at least let me have that!”

“I saved you because I wanted to save you,” Kurogane says, leveling Fai’s glare with one of his own. _There_ , he thinks wth an angry twitch of his lip, _you made me say it._

There’s a brief second where the look on Fai’s face crumbles, but he composes it once more. Kurogane’s usually grateful for these flashes because they let him remember that the mage is still just a man. But when Fai looks this angry afterwards, much less when he’s the target of that anger…

Suddenly, Fai drops his head into Kurogane’s lap and the ninja has no clue what to do other than run a hand through his hair. “I hate you,” Fai hisses, quiet enough to be a whisper.

But that isn’t what Kurogane hears.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, I should probably mention this is cross-posted from my tumblr, right? (Whoops.) My tumblr's over here: http://hotar-u.tumblr.com/ Don't be afraid to message me and we can yell about KuroFai together or something :D
> 
> If you have any thoughts or comments, I’d love to hear them! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


End file.
